“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.“

Philippians 4:19

Since the second half of 2022, our family’s finances have been getting tighter and tighter (for context see our last two updates at www.sgwm.com/record). At one point, our financial situation looked so bleak that we thought that we might have to leave the field by June due to a lack of funds. On top of that, we had a lot of unexpected expenses and upcoming travel expenses. It looked like we would just barely be able to visit California this summer but we would not be able to visit Missouri. But God had other plans and through the miraculous generosity of donors we know personally and even those whom we have never met, God has supplied enough funding for our immediate needs (car repairs/medical expenses, etc.) and travel to California (June 6-August 1) with a trip to Missouri (June 28-July 12)! We have never experienced miraculous provision like this before! We are truly grateful to God and all those who have made and continue to make it possible for us to serve as missionaries in Cambodia.

Now that our immediate needs have been met, we can focus our prayers on our long-term needs: funds to launch Benjamin into his life in the USA in 2027 and savings for us to be able to continue ministering after our senders retire or pass away.

Ministry Update

I finished teaching an eight-week Christian Foundations Sunday school class at the international church. We discussed essential apologetics topics such as the existence of God, the truth of the Bible, and the Resurrection. The students were from China, Ethiopia, Fiji, the Netherlands, Tajikistan, and the USA/Japan. We had a great time and the students want me to offer another class after the USA trip or next year. I also preach in the main service about once a month. I continue mentoring a younger Cambodian pastor and have spoken on faith and leadership over the past couple of months at his Cambodian church. I continue editing the English for Light Times Magazine, the only Christian magazine in Cambodia. I also have been helping Precious Women Organization produce videos of their clients and staff in the Cambodian language with English subtitles. Lord willing, I will be able to start producing apologetics/evangelistic videos in the Cambodian language as I have in the past in the near future.

Kayo continues to serve as a board member/administrator at Precious Women Organization. She also leads the women’s ministry at the international church. She is applying for a part-time job to offset Benjamin’s increasing educational and other long-term expenses.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

1 Samuel 17:45

Visit to the USA

As each new year started since 2019, we kept asking ourselves, “Is this the year that we can visit our loved ones in the USA or Japan?” In 2021 and 2021, the answer was “No.” Finally, in 2022 we could visit Japan for the first time since 2018. Finally, the doors have opened for us to visit the USA! We have booked tickets to arrive in California (Los Angeles/San Bernardino/Orange County areas) between June 6 and August 1. Lord willing, we want to also travel to Missouri (St. Louis area) but we are waiting for some more doors to open for that trip. We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible. We also need to take care of some legal/banking business things while in the USA as well. 

Please contact us by e-mail or Messenger if you think you might be able to meet us so that we can start thinking about our schedule. We may not be able to contact you because the contact information we have for many of you may be out of date or buried in 4-year-old emails. We are available to meet individually or in groups etc. 

Ministry Update

Ministry in Cambodia has gotten increasingly busy and fruitful. From December 22 to February 9, I have been teaching Christian Apologetics every Thursday morning at a Cambodian seminary founded by Korean missionaries. On December 31, I spoke on “True Joy in the Midst of Suffering” at a local Cambodian church’s New Year’s/Christmas celebration. I continue to co-teach the Chinese ministry’s English/Bible class at the international church, and on January 22, I preached on Isaiah 28 “Christ the Cornerstone” at the main service. I also continue to edit English articles for Light Times Magazine and help produce and edit videos for Precious Women Organization.

Kayo has been busy with Precious Women Organization as a board member, leading devotions for the staff and clients, helping with administrative work, and preparing and organizing Precious Women’s booth for the Centennial Celebration (see photo above). As many as 30,000 Cambodians and foreign Christians and non-Christians gathered for the event (FEBC Australia). Special guests/speakers included the Prime Minister and other top government officials. She also is busy in planning, organizing, and starting the Women’s ministry at the international church. 

Financial “Goliath” Situation

For a few years now, our monthly donations have not met our monthly expenses but God provided enough one-time donations/stimulus to keep our account balanced. However, since COVID, the one-time donations/stimulus have not been able to keep up with our monthly expenses. At its worst, our financial reserves/savings were draining at a rate of around $1,500 per month. Our accounts are now at an 18-year low and so we must take action.

To correct this problem, so far, we have been able to raise $400 monthly and cut our expenses by around $550 monthly by getting cheaper health insurance. These provisions and the fruitfulness of our ministries encourage us that God wants us to continue serving in Cambodia. We still need to raise/cut/earn (locally through part-time work) approximately $550 (or more) monthly in order to continue our ministry in Cambodia. There are drawbacks to cutting expenses further or attempting to earn more money here in Cambodia in terms of our effectiveness in ministry here. We also recognize and are grateful for the fact that many of our most faithful senders have already maxed out their capacity to give. Right now, we don’t see any open doors in any direction so we can only LOOK UP!

Please pray for wisdom and provision from whatever sources God wants to provide. This is a “Goliath” situation and so ultimately, only God can make a way for us. He has brought us through even more serious trials than this and so we trust Him to carry us through this trial as well! 

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are also doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

We spent from June 13 to August 2 in Japan. We had a blessed time there! We were able to visit and share our ministry at more than a dozen churches (and a Bible School) all over Japan. We were also blessed to be able to spend some quality time with old friends and make new friends. 

Benjamin spearheaded two long conversations about Christianity with his non-Christian grandparents in Hiroshima. He also helped me edit some of the articles for Light Times Magazine’s first print edition since before COVID forced the magazine into online-only for more than a year. He also taught himself quite a bit of Japanese from a book and only asked Kayo’s help when he got stuck. Now that we have returned to Cambodia he has started 8th grade at Hope School.

There was a new openness to and interest in my Apologetics/Evangelistic materials in Japanese and English. I was able to share materials with a few individuals and the Bible school we visited. Please pray that they will be contextualized and translated into the Japanese language as needed. 

Kayo was the busiest of all in Japan. She was kept busy with travel arrangements, translation, and communicating with churches, etc. Still, she had a good time with her friends and loved ones that she had not been able to see for four years. 

We have just gotten resettled in Cambodia and are just starting to resume our ministries here. Please pray for wisdom and strength for us for this new season.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17

Preparing for our Time in Japan, June 13-August 1

Thanks for praying for our home assignment in Japan this summer, (please don’t stop : ). We will be visiting more than a dozen churches in multiple cities across Japan and visiting Kayo’s family in Hiroshima. Please pray for opportunities to be a witness to Kayo’s unsaved relatives. 

Kayo has been busy making travel arrangements and communicating with our senders in Japan. Please pray for continued strength and wisdom for her. I have been working on preparing a few sermons to go along with Kayo’s missions presentation for the churches we will visit. Thanks for praying for my visa to Japan it went through smoothly. Please pray for wisdom, protection, and provision over our finances as prices for some of our air tickets etc. have greatly increased. Japanese churches, while generous and faithful are also struggling financially, and the Japanese currency has been devalued against the US dollar in the post-COVID economy. This is also a concern as we are planning to visit the USA next summer.

Christology Class

Thanks for praying for my Christology class at a local Bible School. I spent two weeks teaching the intensive class and another week on grading their intensive assignment. The class went very well, especially for my first time teaching this subject. The verse above comes from one of the passages that I taught on during the class. It is a good reminder to have peace in troubled times because Christ is holding everything together. If Christ is in control, we don’t have to be afraid or worry because we can trust Him to take care of everything. The students asked a lot of good questions in the class and were very engaged. Going forward, I will probably teach Apologetics one year and Christology the following year at this Bible school and Apologetics at another seminary. 

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“… and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you.” Romans 15:23b NLT

I could not include the first part of this verse which reads, “But now I have finished my work in these regions.” because our work in Cambodia is not finished. Many new and exciting projects are already lining up after our return from Japan at the end of summer.

Reconnecting in Cambodia

Now that COVID is reducing in Cambodia, we have been able to reconnect and visit with some of our Cambodian and missionary friends that we haven’t been able to visit for a long time. We have been able to reconnect with friends in Phnom Penh and even in Kampong Chhnang, where we lived between 2009-2011. We hadn’t been able to see some of our friends there for several years.

Visiting Japan this Summer

We will be visiting Japan this summer for the first time since 2018. It will be good to reconnect with our friends and family there. We will spend some time in the Tokyo area, the Osaka area, Hiroshima, and other parts of Japan as doors open. We will be sharing our ministries in churches as the doors open. This means that Lord willing, we will be visiting the USA during the summer of 2023, so we look forward to seeing our friends and family there too. Please pray for all the logistics and doors to open smoothly for us, especially my (Darryl’s) visa to Japan.

Christology Class Begins in a Couple of Hours

I will start teaching a two-week intensive Christology course this afternoon. Normally, I teach Apologetics, so this will be my first time teaching this course. Please pray for this class to go smoothly and for my students and me to learn together. I will be able to use some of my videos as supplemental materials.

Family Update

During April, Benjamin had some time off from school so we were able to travel to Kampong Chhnang and Battambang to see friends and also have some family time away from Phnom Penh. Kayo continues to lead the devotions at Precious Women Organization monthly. She is also getting busy preparing for our trip to Japan. After Japan, she will get more involved in other ministries here in Cambodia. It is hard to believe that Benjamin will soon be finished with 7th grade. He is doing well but sometimes, managing and juggling all the homework is a challenge for him.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” Hebrews 13:14 NLT

Not being able to visit either of our passport-countries since 2018 and 2019 respectively, has made me think about the concept of “home.” Cambodia isn’t really “home” either because our presence here depends, in part, on whether or not the government will renew our visas each year. We never feel a sense of being fully rooted anywhere in the world. But, the good news is that this world is not our home. Heaven is our home and so that is where we find our root and permanence.

Omicron Takes Hold In Cambodia

Overall, Cambodia has been spared some of the worst of Covid but now the Omicron variant seems to be taking off. Just this morning, I was informed that my weekly Apologetics class would be moved to online because four students tested positive for Covid at the seminary. The big question and concern is what the goverment’s response will be. Please pray that churches, schools, and businesses etc. will be allowed to stay open and that we don’t go through more lockdowns like last spring.

Summer Travel Plans Still Unknown

Due to Omicron in Japan, many churches have returned to online services. We also do not yet know how difficult it will be for me to get a visa to visit Japan this summer. We will make a final decision the end of April. If, we cannot go to Japan, we will make every effort to go to the USA (California and Missouri). We will let you know when we know.

Ministry Update

Ministry continues to go well. I continue making apologetics/evangelistic videos in the Cambodian language and sharing them online (Facebook, Youtube, and website). I also use the videos as teaching materials when I teach apologetics at Bible schools and seminaries. I have been told that others are using my videos when they teach at Bible schools etc. as well. Kayo leads the devotions at Precious Women Organization each month and she has been using the videos as well.

Since my last update, I was able to release one video entitled: How the Bible Helps Us Avoid Fake News and Deception. I have two more videos in process, one is almost ready for release. Please pray for wisdom in selecting topics that will impact the lives of Cambodians.

As I mentioned above, I have been teaching Apologetics in-person at a local seminary. But, for at least one week, the classes have gone online due to Covid. I have also been helping with the Chinese ministry at a local international church.

Kayo is in the process of reducing some of her activities with the worship team at the local international church. Please pray for her to have a time of rest and then for God to open new doors of ministry for her.

In Christ’s Hands,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin